Forest Dept books believers for holding ‘Way of Cross’ at Wayanad hillock
Forest Department registered a case against hundreds of Christian believers and a vicar for conducting the Way of the Cross pilgrimage on a forest hillock.
Forest Department registered a case against hundreds of Christian believers and a vicar for conducting the Way of the Cross pilgrimage on a forest hillock.
Forest Department registered a case against hundreds of Christian believers and a vicar for conducting the Way of the Cross pilgrimage on a forest hillock.
Mananthavady: The Forest Department has registered a case against hundreds of Christian believers, including the vicar of St Joseph’s Church, Pilakkavu, for conducting the Way of the Cross to Kambamala, a forest hillock, on Good Friday. The case was registered on Friday, and notices will be served to those involved as per procedure, sources said.
The Way of the Cross pilgrimage in Kerala is a widely observed Good Friday and Lenten tradition, where devotees trek up hills, often barefoot or carrying crosses, symbolising the journey of Jesus Christ to crucifixion.
The department had earlier imposed restrictions on entry into the forest citing widespread wildfires and reports of tiger presence in the region. However, a large number of believers participated in the procession, and the limited number of forest personnel on duty was insufficient to block entry into the restricted area.
Officials said permission had been denied as a tiger census was underway in the forest zone. They added that warning boards had been put up cautioning people against entering forest border areas due to the ongoing census and recurring wildfires.
The UDF had launched a campaign against the ban on the Way of the Cross at Kambamala, following which the Forest Department chose not to physically prevent the procession.
Begur Forest Range Officer Renjith Kumar said the case was registered under Section 27 of the Kerala Forest Act, 1967, for trespassing into the forest without permission. He added that the area was under surveillance with camera traps as part of the tiger census, and that further proceedings would continue in the coming days.
Mananthavady Municipal Chairman Jacob Sebastian alleged that there was a high-level conspiracy to prevent believers from conducting the ritual, which has been held at the site for nearly six decades. He said the Forest Department should not obstruct religious practices.
Fr Royson Antory, vicar of St Joseph’s Church, Pilakkavu, said he stood with the believers, noting that the Way of the Cross has been conducted at Kambamala for decades, with only a brief suspension, including during the COVID-19 pandemic. He added that he had not yet informed higher authorities in the Mananthavadi Diocese, as he had not received formal notice of the case. He said appropriate legal steps would be taken once the notice is received.